Front Page: Twins ALDS Game 3 Recap: Twins Season Ends in Heartbreak

[Andrew Thares]

The long awaited postseason return to Target Field was met with some mixed emotions, as the Twins brought a 2-0 series deficit back from New York, and were suddenly on the brink of elimination. The Twins gave themselves plenty of chances to give this crowd a reason to erupt, but time and time again they came up short in the clutch, going a dreadful 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. In the end, the Twins dropped their 16th consecutive postseason game by a score of 5-1, ending the season for the Bomba Squad.Box Score

Odorizzi: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 65.9% strikes (54 of 82 pitches)

Home Runs: Rosario (1)

Multi-Hit Games: Rosario (3-for-4, 2B, HR), Arraez (2-for-4, 2B)

WPA of +0.1: Rosario .110, Cron .104

WPA of -0.1: Sano -.165, Kepler -.139, Gonzalez -.118, Cruz -.112, Polanco -.108, Garver -.101

 

Here's A Look At Today's Win Probability Chart

Download attachment: vs Yankees 10-7-2019.PNG

(Chart via Fangraphs)

 

Despite being down in the series 2-0, Twins were amped at the start of the game, and Jake Odorizzi gave them something to cheer about in the top of the first. After striking out DJ LeMahieu to start the ballgame, Odorizzi appeared to get Aaron Judge to fly out to Eddie Rosario in right for two quick outs. However, Judge was awarded first base after catcher’s interference was called. That was no problem for Odorizzi, as he came back and got Brett Gardner to strike out and Edwin Encarnacion to fly out to end the inning.

 

Odorizzi wasn’t able to keep the Yankees off the board for long, however, as Gleyber Torres hit a fly ball that just cleared the wall, and Jake Cave’s glove, in left. Rocco Baldelli went out and asked the umpires to review the home run for fan interference, and while a fan did reach over the railing and made contact with the ball, it was clearly already over the fence, along with Cave’s glove, before the fan touched it. Luckily for the Twins, the home run came with nobody on base, which feels like a rare occurrence for the Yankees against the Twins of late.

 

The Twins gave themselves an excellent opportunity to get on the scoreboard themselves in the bottom of the second. Eddie Rosario drove a pitch about six inches above the zone deep off the top of the right-center field wall for a lead off double, narrowly missing a home run. After a Mitch Garver walk, and a Luis Arraez single, the Twins had the bases loaded and nobody out. However, as was the narrative all season long, the Twins failed to get the job done with the bases loaded, thanks to a Miguel Sano popup, and strikeouts from Marwin Gonzalez and Jake Cave.

 

Gio Urshela led off the Yankee third with a blopper that dropped in front a Jake Cave, who inexplicably laid out for the baseball, coming up a few feet short, and allowing the ball to get past him, turning a routine single into a lead off double for Urshela. Urshela was able to advance to third on a DJ LeMahieu ground out, and looked like he might be stranded there after Aaron Judge struck out. However, Brett Gardner came through with a two-out single that went right past a shifted Miguel Sano, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

 

After singles from Jorge Polanco and Eddie Rosario, the Twins had another scoring chance with two on and two out, for Mitch Garver, in the bottom of the third. After getting ahead in the count 3-0, Garver took what was pretty clearly ball four high, however, umpire Gary Cederstrom didn’t see it that way, calling it a strike. After that, Luis Severino was able to battle back and strike out Garver to end the inning.

 

Jake Odorizzi did his job in the fourth and fifth innings, by keeping the Yankees off the board and working two pretty clean innings. Overall, for the night, Odorizzi earned a tip of the cap for doing his job by limiting the Yankees to just two runs across five innings, keeping the Twins in the game into the later innings.

 

Luis Arraez got yet another Twins rally attempt going in the bottom of the sixth, when he drilled a one-out double that split the gap in left-center field. Miguel Sano followed that up with good at-bat, working the count full before driving a ball that left the bat at 107.9 MPH, toward the wall in right, but Aaron Judge used all of his 6’8” frame to reach up and snare the ball out of midair. Marwin Gonzalez followed that up by driving a flyball high into the Minnesota sky, but that ball came up just shy of the fence, as Judge made the catch on the warning track to end the Twins sixth.

 

The Yankees added to their lead in the top of the seventh after yet another clutch hit off the bat of Didi Gregorius. Gleyber Torres started the inning with a ringing double off of Taylor Rogers. Then with one out, Gregorius ripped a single down the first base line, bringing around Torres to extend the Yankee lead to three.

 

It took a long, and I mean long, time but the Twins were finally able to get on the board thanks to this Eddie Rosario blast to lead off the bottom of the eighth.

 

 

The Yankees tacked on a couple more runs in the ninth to extend their lead to four in the top of the ninth. Cameron Maybin took Sergio Romo deep, with what looked like a lazy fly ball that just cleared the wall in left. They tacked on their fifth, and final, run of the game, thanks to, you guessed it, yet another RBI off the bat of Didi Gregorius.

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Twins got themselves a little rally going in the bottom of the ninth, getting each of the first two hitters on to lead off the inning. However, the ninth ended in the same way as every other Twins rally of the ballgame. Max Kepler picked up the first out of the inning, by striking out three straight sliders from Aroldis Chapman. Jorge Polanco then lined a ball up the middle that appeared destined for a base hit until Didi Gregorius grabbed the ball, and with it the Twins hopes and dreams. The Twins season came to an end with Nelson Cruz at the plate looking at strike three right down the middle.

 

The Twins ended the game going just 3-for-9 on balls put in play over 100 MPH. Those nine batted balls had an average expected batting average of .612. Instead, the Twins got just over half of that, and of course all the ones that didn’t drop for a hit were the ones hit in the highest leverage spots, but hey that’s baseball.

 

Postgame with Baldelli:

 

 

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

 

Download attachment: 10-7-2019 vs Yankees.PNG

 

ALDS Game Recaps:

Twins ALDS Game 2 Recap: Nothing Works, Twins Lose 12th Straight To Yankees

Twins ALDS Game 1 Recap: Bad Defense, Questionable Management Leads to Loss

 

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[operation mindcrime]

Well at least we have the homerun record!

[drock2190]

16 straight losses. Let that sink in.

[ScooterDance]

coinciding with moving to the DC area, I’m just not sure I’m going to be investing this kind of time into this team. I probably read every minor league report this year and watched most games.

 

It’s one thing if we’re losing in games 4 or 5 of the ALDS every year. Competitive. A bounce here or there. A clearly high ball four to garver on a pitch four feet away from the target here or there. A Yankee not catching one of our 108 mph laser beams here or there.

 

But we get swept every year. It’s clear we only build to compete for the central. Never for the title. We don’t draft and develop pitching. We don’t trade for it. We don’t sign it.

 

Why bother.

 

Rant over. Have a good offseason. I’m off to become a nats fan I guess.

[DocBauer]

I am torn between being depressed how the season ended vs how wonderful, fun and exciting the overall season was.

 

Only one team, and one fan base ever ends a season truly happy I guess.

 

I had a BLAST with this team!

 

Maybe I'm just sad baseball is done until next spring.

 

But...DAMN.,,2019 was FUN!

 

GO TWINS!!

[SwainZag]

Awfully disappointing ending to the season.... but by far the most fun season in a long time. That being said, it's going to be a long offseason.

[rkevin]

Ronco Baldenhire

[Bandit34]

 

coinciding with moving to the DC area, I’m just not sure I’m going to be investing this kind of time into this team. I probably read every minor league report this year and watched most games.

It’s one thing if we’re losing in games 4 or 5 of the ALDS every year. Competitive. A bounce here or there. A clearly high ball four to garver on a pitch four feet away from the target here or there. A Yankee not catching one of our 108 mph laser beams here or there.

But we get swept every year. It’s clear we only build to compete for the central. Never for the title. We don’t draft and develop pitching. We don’t trade for it. We don’t sign it.

Why bother.

Rant over. Have a good offseason. I’m off to become a nats fan I guess.

I think there are a lot of people who feel like you do and if the Twins are not careful they may very well end up losing a whole lot of fans from what is going on. It's one thing to have very poor seasons but when you do have a good season, make it count. The Twins seemingly never make them count and I think it could hurt our base of support for the future. 

[h2oface]

Process. Have we heard that phrase all year? 

 

Process. It wasn't losing the series, and "only one team is happy" thing. 

It is the process by which, once again, this team doesn't show up in the playoffs.

The process by which they lose. 

Not even competitive.

Not even one win, for another 3 games.

New manager. New players. New process. 

 

But I saw them last night on the dance floor......... and nothing had changed.

 

I must love to suffer. I know I will be back next year, ready to believe. 

I guess I am not too smart.

[Monticore]

A terrible showing. To compensate for their futility with the bases loaded,Baldelli should've had Gonzalez squeeze home a run to tie it up. Rosario and Arreaz at least competed but what a pathetic team effort.

[theBOMisthebomb]

I can't read the recap. The emotions and frustration are too raw right now.

[MNT1996]

I can't wait to watch the FSN footage of Rocco handing out participation awards to the players in the clubhouse

[howeda7]

Rocco says he's proud and not frustrated at all. Could he be any more tone deaf?

[MNT1996]

 

Rocco says he's proud and not frustrated at all. Could he be any more tone deaf?

 

Such a loser attitude. Embarrassing.

[howeda7]

 

Such a loser attitude. Embarrassing.

Can you imagine TK or Bud Grant or Mike Zimmer saying that? I can't. 

Edited October 8, 2019 by howeda7

[howeda7]

If they don't somehow acquire a starter better than Berrios and a decent #3, Falvine should go elsewhere. 

[Bomba2026]

Rocco was proud of this effort in the playoffs...really? Hey the season is over, now the playoffs, a new season. I'm not proud of losing again. It would have been more exciting to see the Squirrel run around the field! I had the game taped and at 12:01 when I was off some DB at work blarred the score over the loudspeaker. Thanks And if we finish as Wild Card next year, I bet we somehow play the Yankees again. Go Astros.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Since 2002, the Yankees have never swept an opponent in any postseason series. None. Except the Twins.

[jctwins]

Perhaps everyone could have used just a little more nap time, or a little less nap time.

 

 

[SoDakTwinsFan4]

I personally am looking very forward to watching the Astros squash the Yankees

[jctwins]

Being at this game, this fan base is pathetic. They cheer cheer cheer every terrible bullpen pitcher when they announce his name, and they stand with blank looks in the urinal line during the game rather than being pissed off at how terrible this team played.

 

Then after the game the resounding opinion is "well shoot it was a fun season and they weren't supposed to be this good."

 

Not only does this team not know how to win, this fan base doesn't know how to expect winning.

[one_eyed_jack]

This one really stings.  It reminds me of the 2006 season - a team that was a ton of fun to watch and exceeded everyone's expectations - entered the playoffs with a roar and exited in 3 games with a whimper, though that time to Oakland.

 

To me, what makes these series with the Yankees so maddening is that not only are they the better team, but every break, every call and every bounce seems to go their way when we play them in the postseason, and the Twins don't help themselves with their habit of self-inflicted injuries.  (Cave, what in God's name were you thinking diving for that ball.)

 

And I can't stand hearing about how brilliant the Yankee pitching was.  Yeah, they were good, but a lot of it was just bad at-bats by the Twins.   Flailing away at garbage way out of the zone, fouling off destroyable pitches, we made their 3 serviceable starters look like Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz 2.0.

 

Rosario, Arraez and Polanco were the only 3 guys that didn't consistently look clueless and helpless at the plate.  Garver, Sano and Kepler were particularly disappointing. 

 

Oh well, hopefully this is an experience that they learn from, and they come back hungry in the spring.  And we spend some money on pitching - we just don't have the arms to compete in October right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[h2oface]

Not leaving Berrios in to start the 5th in game 1 (after only 88 pitches and a 1-2-3 4th on 12) with the game tied, and the pitchers he didn't use in a close and tied game, and starting the Uber driver for game 2 instead of a professional like Odorizzi.......... some of the managerial/front office choices I will never forgive or forget. Some process. 

 

Snow forecast for the Twin Cities this weekend? That would have been lovely.

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by h2oface

[howeda7]

 

Being at this game, this fan base is pathetic. They cheer cheer cheer every terrible bullpen pitcher when they announce his name, and they stand with blank looks in the urinal line during the game rather than being pissed off at how terrible this team played.

 

Then after the game the resounding opinion is "well shoot it was a fun season and they weren't supposed to be this good."

 

Not only does this team not know how to win, this fan base doesn't know how to expect winning.

I get the frustration, but the notion that the fans being angrier would change anything management does is a stretch. Even in a play-off game, most of the 40,000 there are fairly casual fans who don't live and die with every at bat. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Had the Twins played (and been managed) this way for the first two games, we'd be looking at a game four.

 

Nevermind that I wouldn't be so effing angry right now.

 

I like Baldelli but he needs to be better next season. I glossed over some of his weaker points but he walked such a different game than he talked that SOMEONE needs to call it out and he needs to learn from the experience.

[Rosterman]

Yankees made many a grat play.

 

Allowing a routine single to be a double, bad.

 

Not scoring with bases loaded no outs, bad.

 

Not batting Arraez leadoff, bad.

 

Expecting more than a couple of outs from Romo against a powerhouse lineup, bad.

 

Rostering players NOT 100%, bad.

 

I shake my head at keeping prospects instead of getting a solid starter and a true closer. Hope those prospects will pan out in the future and not just become minor league free agents or Rule 5 draftees. Hey, can always use another 100 grand, right?

 

But the team had a great year. And it was a team of fine players, meshing on the field, playing their heart out, taking series, avoiding losing streaks, setting a home run record. A rookie manager, a good stadium experience for fans in attendance. 100+ wins. Who would've thunk back in spring training!

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Not batting Arraez leadoff, bad.

Uh, but why? The guy is predetermined to bat leadoff literally once a game. It's not as if the Twins struggled to get people on base, they just flat-out failed to drive them home.

[glunn]

I want to face the Yankees in the postseason next year and every other year, and that the front office and the coaching staff need to focus more on building a team that can beat the Yankees.

 

I hope for better pitching, better situational hitting and better defense. And Buxton needs to be more careful when he is close to the wall. I think that a healthy Buxton would have helped a lot.

[Michigan Twins Fan]

 

coinciding with moving to the DC area, I’m just not sure I’m going to be investing this kind of time into this team. I probably read every minor league report this year and watched most games.

It’s one thing if we’re losing in games 4 or 5 of the ALDS every year. Competitive. A bounce here or there. A clearly high ball four to garver on a pitch four feet away from the target here or there. A Yankee not catching one of our 108 mph laser beams here or there.

But we get swept every year. It’s clear we only build to compete for the central. Never for the title. We don’t draft and develop pitching. We don’t trade for it. We don’t sign it.

Why bother.

Rant over. Have a good offseason. I’m off to become a nats fan I guess.

 

 

My brother and his wife lived in D.C. for a decade. I enjoy the Nats and consider them my NL team. If post-season futility is your bag, then by all means choose them. You'll feel right at home. 

[Michigan Twins Fan]

One thing the Yankees have going for them is a relatively competitive division. It helps that their 104 wins came against decent teams (Baltimore aside). 

 

Also, sample size is a thing. We had a winning record against the Astros this year, but none of us would have realistically expected to beat them in a playoff series. Unfortunately we didn't have it for this series.